61-63 tempest any ideas?

I am thinking about taking a 61 tempest in on a trade.Does anyone have any idea on what to do to it?Thanks

 

When I was a kid I'd walk by a custom bodyshop on my way home from high school. They opened the whole frontgrille and did a roll pan low on the front... It was so cool its still burned into my memory 40 years later.

 

Make it a 2dr and convert it to a sedan delivery

 

Loose the rims (maybee a set of chrome reverse or Astro's) - Two tone (Roof, hood, tops of doors and the bottom half of the doors inside the body line)

Just some thoughts to start off with.....

 

All that ****er needs is a killer driveline. A 421 would be the "authentic" choice, but the slightly later 455 hooked to a 200R4 and a nine-inch Ford rear would make that little car a killer.

 

The wheels definitely need to go. Add some skinny white walls with different wheels and a two tone paint scheme (flake anyone?), and it would be a sweet little surf wagon.

 

sell it to me?
Randy

 

Yes an Arnie Beswick "Grocery Getter" clone

 

Damn, I wouldn't do much.
Two-tone paint maybe and some baby slotted mags... lose the boards... drive the dogpiss outta it.

 

heres what i did with my 62 cutl***. the roof ended up getting a silver metal flake. body lines are real similar. i got a lot of looks and even some old people told me it wasnt a cutl*** or an F-85

 

If the trans is an auto it is very similar to a Corvair PG trans 60-69.
If it is a 3 spd manual trans it is very similar to a 60 chevy 3 spd.
The diff is easy to work on. It has adjusters for the bearing clearances except for the input shaft.

 

It is an automatic on the dash

 

Do those horns play DIXIE??? If they do, paint the car orange and put an 01 on the door.....

 

If that things got dogpiss, let someone else take it in trade... Nothing worse than dogpiss. :-<

 

I NEED to see one of these 4 bangers all rodded out with V8 parts. Find someone who threw a rod or something in a Pontiac race motor cause you only need four of everything. 3.3 liters is real big for a four cylinder. Ricers wouldnt know what hit them.

 

I'll second that motion! Sounds good to me!

 

they used to race those four bangers it's half of a 389 same bore and stroke 194.5 cubic inches. I think they used every thing a 389 used but I can't remember cause I have CRS (Can't Remember ****) My old man had one, brand new, except it was 3 speed transmision in the rear with independant rear suspension, they were kind of an odd ball to every thing else.

 

I had one of those but it was a convertible, split V8, factory 4 barrel carb. We cut the coils in it as much as poss, changed some ball joints and drove the **** out of it, it was a blast. Believe it or not, that little 4 ran like crazy. The rear suspension needed some tweeking to get those rear wheels straight again. That was a weird transaxle deal though.

 

This ones got my vote !
Pontiac Slim

 

Ms Beswicks grocery getter.

 

I have had the same thought for the same car. Here is what I had a photochopper on the board do for me.

 

I don't know where you'd find one these days, but EMPI made a "camber compensator" for early Tempests similar to the one they sold for VW bugs that helped the rear suspension behave.

 

4bbl version used a small base carb (Rochestor 4 Jet or D series AFB, I can't remember which), was rated 166 HP. Could come with either the stick (3 or4 speed) or automatic (Corvair 2 speed).
As the four banger was literally half a 389, a lot of interchange possibilities for hop up exist; timing chain and gears, for years the hot setup for the Pontiac V8 (until they dried up) WAS the four cylinder chain. Cylinder head, any Pontiac V8 head will bolt to any Pontiac V8 and the same applies to the four (with compatible pistons and intake manifold). 389 pistons (or with a .030 overbore, those from a 400, rods, valve gear, etc. Although I've owned one (62 Lemans convert with Z87 4bbl motor and 3 speed), I've never actually taken one apart, but I wouldn't be surprised to find oil pumps, pans, front covers, and cam shafts to be adaptable. Maybe one of you currently playing around with one can chime in here with more conclusive info. As the later Corvair (66 up) were upgraded with Saginaw 4 speeds, it might be possible to adapt to one of those and retain the rope drive.
Overbored .030 to use the 400 pistons would also make it compatible to use an aluminum Edelbrock head. Modify a V8 aluminum intake and add in a stout cam and you've got the makings of a giant killer. However, because it is so easy to drop in the Pontiac V8, indeed the 63 came with one (the 326), and all Pontiac V8s are the same basic motor, the above suggeston of 455, 200R4, and a V8 capable rearend would be my choice. Maybe the 8.8 out of a Fox Mustang would work with the least amount of work and still be strong enough to hang with the V8. Just a little food for thought.